Echo
by FoxInBox aka FIB
Summary: Many years have passed, but Madara can't let go.
1. Chapter 1

The world had changed, as it always did.

The fields and trees had disappeared as time passed, stealing away the homes of many low level ayakashi to make way for humans' structures. Where there had once been nature now stood shopping centers and apartment complexes, concrete and metal. Madara had watched it from both near and far, amused and infuriated by the changes. After all, his territory had been left alone and it did provide some source of entertainment. At the same time, it also proved just how bold and greedy humans were becoming. Not that that was anything new, really. He retreated to the mountains, where the air was still mostly clean and where few humans dared to intrude. It was fine for a while, but he soon found himself restless. As loathe as he was to admit it, Natsume had ruined him; sparked his interest in humans. Certain ones, that is.

"You've been visiting that town an awful lot, Madara."

He glanced towards the speaker with a low growl, which was ruined by the fact he had the voice of an old man and the body of a fat cat. Hinoe smiled serenely as she blew a ring of smoke towards him. He huffed and settled himself, round head held high. She waited for his response, brow arched elegantly. When there seemed to be none forthcoming, she sighed, eyes tracing slowly across the horizon. The air above them was clear and the stars twinkled merrily, but from the mountainside it was easy to see the heavy smog that hung over the distant city like some terrible omen.

"It seems like a rather unfortunate living situation, doesn't it?" she continued idly, not bothering to turn away from the sight. Madara stayed silent, although she could sense him shifting. The words seemed to have affected him in some way he was unwilling to admit. She heaved a dramatic sigh, although the quirk to her lips ruined the effect. "I suppose it's actually fortunate, in some ways."

"Alright, you impertinent creature." Madara snarled, turning towards her. His fur puffed out, making his already round form seem slightly larger (and softer) than before. "What is it that you might be referring to?"

Hinoe's smile disappeared. She turned to look at him, eyes narrowed dangerously. Against the backdrop of the glowing city lights, the golden threads of her kimono seemed to be made of fire. "Natsume. I'm saying that perhaps it's good that Natsume is gone from this world. I know why you visit that place so often, Madara. That person is not the human that you...that _we_ cared for once."

She expected him to be angry. There was a part of her that wanted him to be. Instead, he laughed. It was a bitter sound.

"Did you somehow trick yourself into believing that I thought otherwise?" he demanded, eyes dark. "I go for my own amusement; to sate my own curiosity. There is no other reason."

And with that, he turned and left at a slow pace, head and tail held high. Hinoe watched him go, her face left carefully void of any emotion.


	2. Chapter 2

The children were small. He wondered how old they might be.

Every day they followed the same careful routine; walking the same path to and from school. Going to the same parks and stores. Doing the same thing over and over again. It was tiring just to watch, and he often found himself wondering how any human could stand it. Sometimes, he wondered if Natsume had ever been that way, or if he would have been had youkai not interrupted his routines.

Madara frowned as he watched them pass by, the taller of the two not pausing to spare him a glance while the smaller one turned to stare with wide eyes, just as always. He stared unblinkingly back, watching the child's face. He would never admit that he was searching for some hint of familiarity there. (He had found it, of course, or else he wouldn't have come back over and over again. He wanted more, though.)

Her eyes (and by that point he was almost certain that the smaller one was a female, and the other was a male) were darker than Natsume's had been, but her hair was almost the same color. Her face was rounder than his, but Madara supposed that that could be attributed to her age. He thought that she might grow up to look very much like Reiko had, although her expressions would likely be kinder. She never faced the hardships that that woman had. Madara thought that she would wear the soft, kind eyes that Natsume had once. Although maybe her smiles would be more genuine.

The boy was a different story, though. Madara had noted how he kept his head down, and how he seemed to flinch at certain strange things. The youkai had the feeling that the boy might grow up to be very different from the younger cousin that he walked to and from school with every day. He looked so much like Natsume had; the same eyes and face, the same body type. He held himself like Natsume on a bad day, shoulders hunched and arms held in a way that might be considered defensive. Every day, though, Madara saw pieces of Reiko creeping into his expression. He watched the world with the same sort of hidden fear and weary hatred as she once had.

It was easy to see why, of course. Madara had followed the human boy home before. He had heard the yelling and the shattering glass and the sounds of a child crying out more than once.

The youkai followed the pair at a distance, waddling along the walls that lined the street and kept every human family's careful secrets thoroughly hidden from the outside world.

Madara waited until the girl had disappeared into her house, the door closing firmly behind her, before continuing on. After dropping his younger cousin off at home, the boy would continue on to his own dwelling. He would go inside, wait in the empty house doing homework or chores, until his father arrived home. After that it was anyone's guess, depending on the human's mood. It was disgusting, really. Madara had considered intervening on a few occasions, hearing a too-familiar voice crying out in pain or sorrow. He never did, though. Although he would never admit it, there was a part of him that dreaded the instant that Natsume's look-alike would stare blindly through his magnificent true form.

The human child paused at the gate that led to his house. He stared up at the unassuming building, nearly identical to the other dwellings that surrounded it, and yet so very imposing. Madara waddled along the gate, stopped, and mewled. The boy's head snapped to the side to stare at the cat with wide eyes. He was shaking. Madara mewled again. The boy smiled, slight and soft and so very like his ancestor that Madara could feel a twinge of something deep and stinging in his chest. He refused to give a name to such a ridiculous sensation.

"Are you hungry?"

His voice was nothing like Natsume's had been. It was rough, and it was pitched in the way all young children's are. But Madara could hear the familiar kindness. He mewed again, moving carefully closer to the human.

The boy reached forward and ran a hand through the fur of his back, slow and gentle, and Madara's eyes slid shut and he allowed himself a moment to pretend that these were familiar hands.

Then the boy scooped him up clumsily and the illusion was over.

Struggling with the weight, the human carried him through the gate and into his home, his previous uncertainty seemingly forgotten. He dropped Madara on the floor and pulled a bowl from the cupboard and a carton of milk from the refrigerator. He put the bowl in front of Madara, and then squatted down to stroke his fur while the youkai made a show of examining the offering. He glanced up at the child's hopeful face before finally lowering his head to the bowl and delicately lapping up the milk with a pink tongue.

He could feel the boy's eyes on him, and the smile in his tone when he murmured, "Good kitty. I'm glad you like it."

Madara had to bite back his response. He didn't know yet whether this boy would be able to understand him-descendant of Natsume or not. And even if he could, the youkai did not want to run the risk of scaring him off. He wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

So instead of the biting remark that had risen immediately to the forefront of his mind, he simply mewed once more and let the child rub the area between his ears. If the great and powerful beast purred, then who was there to tell?

They stayed like that for a little while, and Madara wound around his ankles as the boy worked on his homework. The door that lead into the small backyard remained open, letting in the sunlight and the hint of a breeze. It felt peaceful and familiar, and Madara was able to close his eyes and feel content for the first time in nearly four decades.

It wasn't long before the sound of a door closing shattered the tranquility. The human boy stood quickly, his bare foot nearly colliding with the cat-like creature's furry head. Madara glared upwards, fur standing on end, and caught sight of the boy's panicked expression. Without any ceremony, the human scooped him up and tossed him into the backyard with a whispered apology. Madara stood where he was for a moment, watching as the child scrambled hurriedly to greet his father. He walked away before any of the commotion started, not bothering to look back.

He knew now that he was welcomed into the human dwelling by the boy, at least, and that was all that really mattered.

He planned to return soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The boy was leaning against a tree in the park, back pressed hard into the bark. It was apparent that he'd been crying, eyes red and swollen and face scrunched up in an effort to stop the tears. He had his knees pulled up to his chest but his face turned towards the sunshine. Madara didn't miss the slight flinch as his shadow fell across the boy.

"What are you doing here, kid?"

He didn't have the gentle tones right yet. He didn't think that he'd ever be able to accurately mimic the expressions or voice, but he's gotten the appearance almost perfect. The boy's eyes opened and he looked up at Madara with a wide golden gaze, so much like his ancestors'; Similar to the eyes that Madara bears now. It had always amused him, how much like an ayakashi Reiko had looked and how much her descendants bore that same resemblance.

"I'm not doing anything." The boy nearly spat, but whatever tough front he had been trying for was interrupted by the hitch in his voice when he said, "I'm f-fine."

He turned away quickly, knuckles scrubbing at his eyes as though that would hide the evidence of his tears. Madara stared for a second longer, curious and bemused. Then he sat down beside the small boy, legs crossed.

"I can see that, idiot. But you're in my favorite spot so I have no choice but to join you."

It was the boy's turn to look bemused, head cocked and lips twisted as he tried to figure out whether he wanted to stay or leave. Madara decided to help him make the decision.

"What's your name, kid?"

It was funny, seeing the way the human's cheeks turned red even as his eyes narrowed. "I'm not a kid! I'll be eleven next fall." He paused, considering, before muttering, "My name is Natsume. Natsume Hibiki."

Madara hummed. Hibiki; It was fitting. "Eleven, eh? Practically an adult. Are you ready to strike out on your own then, _Na-tsu-me_?" It was familiar to address someone by that name once more, the sneer coming by nature even after so many years. It left a sour taste in his mouth, though, to call this child by another's name. "Going to leave home soon? Make your own decisions like an adult?"

If anything, the boy's face had grown impossibly redder. He looked away, frowning as he muttered, "No, but I wish." then, louder, "And who are you supposed to be? The village idiot?"

"You impertinent brat! I am called Madara, and you would do well to remember that."

Hibiki frowned, squinting at Madara as though he wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. Madara sniffed, crossing his arms, and Hibiki burst out laughing.

The sound was nice.

After that, the meetings between Hibiki and Madara (in both human and cat form) grew more and more frequent.

On the occasions he appeared in his feline form, Hibiki seemed thrilled. He welcomed the apparent cat into his home, feeding him milk and leftovers. Madara learned many things about his life, then. More than he ever would have, had the boy known he could understand every shaking word and broken sob and giggled secret.

The human seemed to enjoy Madara's seemingly-human company, as well. When they went out together, they would pick up snacks to try from around town. The look of annoyance when Madara made him pay made the youkai laugh, even while something within him seemed to ache. Despite the reluctance the boy had about using his scant allowance to purchase food for Madara, he seemed to welcome the escape from the monotony of home-school-home day in and day out, and the smile that appeared whenever Madara did was enough to break hearts.

The more time they spent together, though, the more whispers Madara could hear from people who saw them. Some commenting on his appearance, others on the apparent similarity between Madara and Hibiki. When he heard an old woman murmuring that she hadn't known Hibiki had an elder brother, he wondered if he might have made a mistake in choosing to take Natsume's form instead of Reiko's.

But by that point, it was far too late to change.


End file.
